Ghanaian relationship counsellor George Lutterodt has called for renewed attention to HIV/AIDS education, expressing worry over reported cases among young women between the ages of 15 and 24.

Speaking in an interview, Counsellor Lutterodt said the trend among teenagers and young adults should concern the country, stressing the need for stronger awareness campaigns and open conversations about HIV prevention.

He admitted that he feels partly responsible for the decline in public HIV education efforts, recalling his previous involvement in campaigns aimed at educating young people about the virus.

“As I’m speaking now, women are leading with HIV/AIDS in Ghana. The age bracket is what is pissing me off the most. I’m angry at myself, and I should be blamed. I don’t want to blame the National AIDS Commission because they were working on donor funds,” he said.

Lutterodt explained that his attempts to continue organising HIV awareness programmes became difficult due to funding challenges and reduced support from some institutions.

“It got to a time when I went to them for sponsorship to organise World AIDS Day activities; there was no money. The churches too no longer gave me the chance, so I stopped,” he added.

The counsellor claimed that some young people may already be living with HIV by the time they reach senior high school, with others entering adulthood without knowing their status.

“From ages 15 to 24, women are leading. The period when children finish JHS and enter SHS, some are already living with HIV. By age 24, following Ghana’s educational calendar, you’re looking at a Level 400 university student. Our Level 400 students who are coming out to do national service are coming out with HIV,” he stated.

He further cautioned that official statistics may not reflect the full situation because some people have never gone for voluntary counselling and testing.

“The number the Ghana AIDS Commission has given us is reported cases. Some people have never decided to do voluntary counselling and testing, but they are there,” he said.

Lutterodt also criticised what he described as reduced conversations around sexual health, arguing that avoiding discussions about HIV prevention could expose young people to greater risks.

“Now we don’t do sex education anymore. One of the things we don’t want to talk about is HIV/AIDS. The mode of spread is very simple. The children who are 15 and have it were not born with HIV or infected through a cut at a salon,” he noted.

He added, “If we follow the pattern by which they got it, it points to unprotected sexual intercourse. Sexual intercourse among young people is not the issue; what is dangerous is when they engage in it without protection.”

His comments come amid ongoing calls from health advocates for increased HIV testing, education and prevention programmes, particularly among young people across Ghana.